The present invention relates to a hopper for dispensing seed, grain and the like, and particularly to a hopper which agitates and translocates the seed, grain or the like to the dispensing opening with a metering implement.
There are numerous types of seed dispensing devices. One type has a plurality of dispensing outlets which are calibrated by a single metering mechanism. Another type of seeding implement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,265 to the inventors of the present invention, which patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In such devices, a plurality of side-by-side containers are provided with individual metering mechanisms in combination with soil tilling equipment to permit interseeding of pasture or other land with very small, controlled quantities of seed. For example, as low as two pounds of clover seed is applied per acre of existing fescue, coastal Bermuda or the like.
Yet another type has a rigid member for pushing seed toward the hopper outlet, while other types employ a brush of one kind or another to move seed inside a hopper, either for cleaning or dispensing. A still further type has stirring arms inside the hopper, and these arms are driven by power supplied from the axle of the wheels which carry the device over the fields. The latter type is known as a "ground driven" device, and an example of a ground driven device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 488,356 to Hasson.
Generally, hoppers of simple and inexpensive construction tend to be limited to a narrow range of seeding applications. Seeders capable of a broader range of seeding applications generally tend to be of more complex construction and greater expense. Moreover, when the particular features of simpler hoppers are combined in a hopper of more complex design, the combination of features often results in unanticipated adverse consequences. For example, adding a seed metering feature to a ground-driven hopper complicates the task of calibrating the metering feature. It is difficult to calibrate the metered opening of a ground-driven device, because the dispensing action only occurs when the device is moving through the field. Moreover, such devices are also difficult to calibrate when used to seed uneven terrain.
Another type of seed dispensing hopper has an electric motor driven metering implement which has rigid members rotating about the driven shaft inside the hopper. These rigid rotating members constitute a potential hazard to an operator who might place his hand into the hopper while the shaft is rotating.
Other calibration problems stem from hopper manufacturing methods. Hoppers generally are fabricated from a lightweight metal which is bent, drilled, and formed into the desired configuration, and then welded together. The bending, drilling, forming and welding produces distortions in the final manufactured hopper, and these distortions make it difficult to calibrate any metering mechanism for controlling the dispensing of seed from the hopper.